You make me want to Die
by Posteriophobia
Summary: When Aria is running away from her complicated life, she finds herself in Mystic Falls with the Salvatore Brothers. She stays and begins to try making a new life for herself. Little does she know, this life will be way more complicated than her last.
1. The Beginning

_You don't want me, no_  
_ You don't need me_  
_ Like I want you, oh_  
_ Like I need you_

* * *

It was quiet. The wind had stopped blowing through the trees and the crickets had stopped their chirping. Damon slowed his pace until he was standing still. He looked around him; the sky was very dark, for it had been raining earlier that day, however there were a few stars that shawn through the thick blanket of perspiration, along with the big white moon. He let out a sigh and was about to take a step forward when all of a sudden, the wind picked up and there was a large snap somewhere in the woods surrounding him. For a moment he hesitated, then took off running. It took him a few seconds to realize which way his feet had led him and he began to question himself until he smelled it.. that disgustingly beautiful metallic smell. It was blood, human blood.

When he finally reached the spot where the scent had originated from, he found himself at the side of the highway. He looked around and into the night he could see two faint red glows from the taillights of a car. He quickly, but cautiously, walked towards the mangled metal container. It was on its top and the front was smashed in, making it look like it had hit something rather large; maybe a deer or a cougar. Once he realized that no one was in the vehicle, he slowed his breathing and listened. He could hear passing cars from the other side of the freeway, and the soft flow of the river that ran through this strange town he called home. Just as he was about to give up, he could hear a slight gargle. His face scrunched in confusion, wondering what that sound could be made by, only to realize that it was the sound of someone choking on their own blood. A sound that had grown so familiar to Damon throughout his unnatural life.

He darted forward down the highway, a few yards from the car, to the right side of the ditch. In the depths of the overgrown grass he could make out the figure of a human girl on her stomach. He could see the bright glimmer of blood around the girl. The overwhelming stench of blood coursed through his system, making his throat ache with thirst. To kill, or not to kill: that was the question. She was already dying, of course.. so no one would really care if he fed, right? Images of Rose, Elena, and even Jessica flashed through his mind. He didn't have to always be a monster, did he? Damon growled in frustration, but before he could sort out his dilemma, the girl had heard him.

**It was now or never.**

"Please, please help.."

_'You don't have to do this, Damon.' Elena and Rose rang in his head, 'You don't have to be a monster..'_

He let out a deep sigh and trudged into the ditch where there was a damsel in distress. _A damsel coated in her own sticky, delicious, blood._ Damon shook the thought from his head and held his breath as he knelt down to retrieve the girl. By this time, she had lost so much blood that her brain had blocked her consciousness as a defense mechanism. He tried his best to avoid looking at her as he made his way back town. He knew that if he caught sight of the blood that was now soaking into his shirt, he wouldn't be able to control himself. He just wanted to get her back to town and drop her off at the hospital. That's all he had to do and then Elena would be so proud of him. It would make him one step closer to proving to her that he wasn't a monster. One step closer to her loving him.

Once Damon was only a few blocks away from the hospital, he realized something very peculiar. It had appeared that the bleeding had stopped, and the wounds had begun to heal. He panicked slightly; was this a new born vampire? But how on earth would she have had vampire blood in her system? Maybe she was a werewolf.. there had been a full moon that night. But then why wouldn't she be transformed? Thousands of scenarios ran through Damon's mind as he stood there with this strange girl in his arms. The only way to get an answer would be to wait until she regained consciousness. He groaned in displeasure: waiting would mean he would have to bring her back home.

* * *

_'Please, just come home. We can talk about this.. we can fix it. I love you so much. You're the only girl I've ever loved.. the only girl I ever want to love. Please, babe.. come home.'_

_'I'm not coming home, not this time.. not after what you did to me. I told you I'd give you one more chance. You did so well for so many years, I really thought you changed. Obviously I was wrong. I'm not giving you another chance. I never want to hear from you again. I hope you realize how big of a mistake you made. You've lost me forever.'

* * *

_

Damon sighed as the girl in his bed tossed and turned. She had begun crying in her sleep earlier, but Elena had stroked her hair which seemed to calm her down. Soon after Elena went home she started again, so Damon climbed into bed with her and done as Elena had. The last time he was in this position was when Rose had been bitten by Jules. The tossing, the turning, the crying out for someone; it had all been the same. Only for Rose, it was one, two, three and she was gone forever. Something in Damon had snapped that night, and he was determined to make sure it didn't happen again. He was convinced that if this girl died, so would the last remaining bits of his humanity. It would be a sign that he wasn't meant to be good. That he was meant to be the monster that Katherine had created.

"Where am I?"

Damon looked down at his abdomen where the girls head had been resting. He studied her face, looking for any indication of what she was. Wide earthy eyes stared back at his icy blue ones. They were surrounded by thick black lashes which were curved from being pressed up against lenses that Elena had removed earlier. Her pale skin was almost as white as snow, but her full lips stood out against it, as they were a soft rose - along with her dark brown hair. If Elena and Stephan could ever have a child, this girl surely would be the product of the outcome.

"You're in Mystic Falls."

The girl removed herself from Damon's grasp and slowly sat up, quickly grabbing her head with her left hand, indicating she had a horrible headache. Which, who wouldn't after the night she had been through? She squinted as she looked around the room, locating her glasses on the nightstand and slipping them on. "Who are you? What happened last night? How did I get here? _Did we have sex_?"

"Uh.. no, we didn't." Damon told her slowly. "I'm Damon Salvatore and this is my home. I'm not sure what happened to you last night, but when I found you, you were face down in the grass, choking on your own blood about twenty yards away from your car."  
"I was on the phone and then out of nowhere there was a wolf in the middle of the road.. I swerved at an attempt to not hit it, but lost control because of the traction thanks the rain. All I remember after that is hitting the wolf, going into the ditch, and passing out.." she let out a deep breath and then looked at Damon, "Where is my car now?"

"It's in the garage. My brother and his girlfriend went to get it last night after I brought you home. It's completely totaled."

"Hah, you think it's bad now? You should have seen it when I first started fixing it." A small curve appeared in the girl's lips, and then quickly faded. "Did you find my phone?"

Damon shook his head and then nodded when she asked if she could use his at some point, after saying that she didn't really think that it mattered, because no one would be looking for her. The entire time she talked, all Damon could look at was the large black ring on her delicate finger. A ring that had a very disturbing resemblance to the ones that Jeremy and Alaric wore. Did she know what it was, or had it been a gift like Isobel had given Alaric when they married? Surely if she knew the powers it had, she'd know who he was.. right?

"Oh, by the way, I'm Aria." the girl smiled and held out her hand, "Thank you for saving me."

* * *

"Where is she?"

Damon looked up from his book to see Stephan and Elena walk into the den, hand in hand He cringed at the sight before replying. "She's having a shower."

"Does she have extra clothes?" Elena asked, "I brought her some just in case but I don't think we're the same size."

"Yeah, she had a duffel bag of stuff in her trunk." Damon told her absentmindedly as he continued to read his book. After a few moments of silence, he looked up. "What?"

Stephan looked away from Elena, towards his elder brother, "Why do you think she had a duffel bag? Think about it, Damon. She has one of those rings; maybe she was running away from something."

"Or someone." Elena added.

"Come on, guys. She's 5'6 and around 120 pounds. I hardly think she's dangerous. Even your kid brother could take a piece out of her." Damon chuckled at the thought, "Besides, if she is, we have three vampires, a witch and doesn't Caroline have that Lockwood kid on our side too? We'll be fine."

"Hey guys." Aria waved timidly as she descended the stairs. She was wearing a white t-shirt, black pants and a black leather jacket.

"Damon, someone raided your wardrobe." Stephan chuckled quietly. Elena hit him lightly on the arm, "Stephan, stop it."

"Thanks for bringing my car back." Aria smiled as she leaned against the wooden arch in the door, glancing towards Damon momentarily. "Do you guys happen to have any tools?"

"For what?" Stephan asked sceptically.

"To fix my car.." Aria told him slowly, not liking the tone he was giving her. "Is there a problem with me staying here?"

"No!" Damon shouted, then cleared his throat, "Excuse my brother, he's not used to company. Yes, we have tools and I will show you where they are, after we run a few errands."

"Well, alright. Thanks, Damon." Aria nodded, "Are we headed out now, then?"

Before Damon could answer, there was a loud knocking coming from the front door. Everyone exchanged quick glances before Stephan got up to answer it. He quickly made his way to the large redwood door and opened it to see Caroline standing outside, terror in her eyes. She rushed past Stephan and began walking quickly down the hallway to the den.

"It's Tyler, Stephan. He knows! He knows that you and Damon are-" Caroline cut her sentence short once she laid eyes on Aria. She quickly shot an apologetic look towards the brothers, "I'm sorry.. I didn't know you had.. company."

"It's alright, Caroline." Stephan assured her, "I'll go talk to Tyler.."


	2. Truth and Confusion

This is before Crying Wolf and after Daddy Issues. I'm sorry it took so long to upload another chapter, I've been busy with school work. I'm already started on chapter three, so hopefully you guys enjoy this.

* * *

_And I want you in my life_  
_ And I **need** you in my life_

* * *

Aria cursed at herself as she walked up to the boarding house. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten so she quietly crept inside, not wanting to disturb anyone. She slowly removed her boots and left them at the front door, then removed her jacket and hung it up. Aria tiptoed into the den and plopped down on the sofa with a slight sigh. She hadn't seen Damon all day. After their friend Caroline showed up, he had left with Elena to go talk to her uncle John about something while Stefan and Caroline took care of this Tyler character, which had left Aria to fend for herself in a town she hadn't even known existed only until a few days ago. It was exhausting trying to find her way around town. Everyone had known she was new because of her constant need to ask for directions.

She sat up straight once she heard moving around above her and turned her tired eyes towards the staircase. After a few moments, a woman with dirty blonde hair appeared, Damon following closely behind. His hair was wet, as was hers and both of their cheeks rosy. The woman didn't seem to notice that Aria was there, for she kissed Damon quickly and told him to call her before she walked out of the house, shutting the large redwood door behind her. Damon hadn't seemed to notice her either, not until he sauntered into the den and poured himself a glass of bourbon. His icy eyes studied her before downing the entire glass and asking when she had got in.

"Just a few minutes ago." Aria told him. Why hadn't he told her that he had a girlfriend? "Is Stefan home yet?"

"No." Damon shook his head as he took a seat next to her on the couch. "He's with Elena."

Aria studied his face closely. His eyes were slightly red, which made his usual icy irises appear more of an azure color. His lips were slightly curved downwards and his brows pulled together closely; he appeared to be frowning. "Oh?"

"I just don't understand what she sees in him. I mean, yes, he is my little brother and I do love him but come on! Stefan is just as bad as I am! So what if he's better at playing the good guy? I'm trying but in doing so I can't be myself! I just want to be myself.."

"Damon..."

"I mean, I'm not that bad of a guy; I saved you, didn't I? I could have just left you there on the side of the road and no one would have even known! All you'd be is another mysterious death in Mystic Falls! But nooooo, I just had to prove to her that I can be just as good of Stefan but it's never good enough for her!"

"Damon!" After a few seconds, Damon moved his gaze to Aria. "Damon, you're drunk.."

"No, I'm not. I'm just tired, Aria. I'm tired of not being good enough. Not for Elena, not for Katherine, not for anybody. And maybe I'm slightly drunk." He told her as he grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. He waited for her to say something, but her lips never parted and no sound escaped from her throat. Damon moved his gaze downward at his hands; they were so big compared to hers, each one almost enveloped each shoulder. She was so small, so fragile beneath his hands of marble. He could crush her with one twitch of a finger.. one swift move and she'd be rubble at his feet. Damon was quickly overwhelmed with the need to kill and his eyes darted to Aria's throat. Before he could make a decision, he felt warm hands on his forearms.

"Damon.. I think-"

"Yes, Aria?"

She let out a sigh and looked at him apologetically, "What about your girlfriend?"

"Who?" He asked, confused, as he removed his hands from her fragile frame.

"The girl that just left.."

"She's not my girlfriend." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Then who is she..?"

"Just some desperate girl that threw herself at me at the grill." He told her.

Aria sighed and averted her eyes to the Persian rug that covered most of the wooden floor. It was Damon's turn to study her. Her face was tired, and she was now sort-of slumped over on the couch, propping herself up on her folded arms that were laid across her legs. Her eyes were hidden behind thick bangs which had fallen from their usual place, but Damon could see the distinct frown that had formed upon her lips.

"I think," she spoke as she rose from the couch and held out a hand, "that we should get you to bed."

Damon hesitated before taking her hand in his and pulling himself off the couch. They slowly made their way across the hallway and up the stairs to Damon's room. It was dark, and the only light coming in was from the moon outside his window. Aria led his across the floor and helped him into bed. As she tucked him in, Damon got the strange sense that she had done this many times before. He wondered when, and why, but before he could ask about her life before Mystic Falls, she had disappeared into the darkness. Damon closed his eyes only to hear something shatter in his bathroom a few moments later. He quickly got out of bed and found Aria kneeling on the ground trying to gather shards of a porcelain vase he had placed on the floor. She rose, turned, and let out a loud shriek.

"Shit!" She growled loudly, hitting Damon's arm. "You scared the fuck out of me!"

"What are you doing?" He asked, trying to ignore the worsening blush in her cheeks.

"I was looking for a bucket, just in case you through up or something." She sighed, obviously embarrassed, "I'll pay for that, I promise.."

Damon ran his hand through his hair, "It's alright."

"I really am sorry, Damon." She cut him off, "I didn't know where the light switch was and I didn't see it.."

"Don't worry about it, Aria." He told her honestly. They stood there for a few moments, then Damon grabbed her hand once again, "Just come to bed, we'll clean it up tomorrow."

" I'm not going to be second fiddle to you." She slowly pulled her hand from his grasp, "I'll sleep on the couch."

Damon looked deep into her eyes. He was tired and wanted to sleep, so who could blame him for what he was about to do? "You will come to bed with me."

Aria stared blankly at him for a few moments, "You're kidding me, right?"

"What?" Damon asked, mostly to himself. How had he not been able to compel her? He hadn't detected any vervain in her system when she had been dying and.. He let out a loud groan. _The ring. _"Please, Aria. I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Fine." She sighed, "but if you try anything, I will remove your testicles."

"Understandable."

* * *

Damon pushed his face farther into the pillow as the sun began to shine through the large window in his room. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to face anyone after yesterday. He had so much to do that day but all he really wanted to do was stay in bed and cease to exist. He didn't want to see Elena or Stefan or vampire barbie or anyone else, especially Aria. He growled at disgust; how could he have let himself be that open in front of some mortal girl who had no idea about anything going on in that town. _A mortal girl that he couldn't seem to compel._ Damon began to clench his fish when he realized what his head was resting on wasn't a pillow.

"You drooled on my chest.." Aria groaned, still half asleep, "that's so gross Harrison. Why do you always have to do that whenever you sleep on my boobs? First on my face when I was sixteen and we were sleeping on the couch in your parents basement and now..." She trailed off, having realized what she had just said and quickly sat up, causing Damon's face to fall into her lap.

Before he could ask about what he had just heard, he found himself being pushed further away by Aria's tiny hands. He looked up at her and caught a look of horror in her eyes before she leapt off the bed and ran into the bathroom. Damon sat quietly, not knowing what to do. Should he follow her, should he ask questions, should he pretend it never happened? There was a time and place for everything, he thought, now was not the time, nor was it the place to start asking questions in which he wasn't sure if he truly wanted to know the answers to. He rose from his soft bed and left his room. A few moments later, he heard the shower turn on and began to make his way downstairs.

It had been awhile since Damon had thought about making actual breakfast at home. Usually he'd just go down to the cellar, drink a few pints of blood and basically be done for the day. But ever since he found Aria, he had only fed once. The thought of drinking blood made his throat ache. He quickly switched his mind to trying to find something in the fridge and cupboards that he could cook for breakfast. He grabbed pancake mix from the shelf and pulled out the waffle iron. It was the least he could do after Aria had taken care of him last night.

"You're cooking?" Damon turned around to see his brother Stefan standing in the doorway, a look of slight concern on his face.

"Oh, don't look so surprised." Damon rolled his eyes as he turned back to the waffle iron, "Haven't you ever cooked for Elena?"

"No, I haven't. I'm going to tonight though. We're heading out to her parent's lake house tonight." He answered honestly. After a few moments, Stefan spoke again, "There's something I can't figure out."

"And what would that be, brother?" Damon asked smugly.

"I can't figure out if she's changing you, or if you're doing it willingly." Stefan answered.

"If who is changing me, Stef?" Damon frowned, "And what makes you think I've changed?"

"Aria." he answered, "And the fact that you're cooking right now instead of drinking your usual three pints of blood."

Damon's movements slowed as he began to stir the chunky waffle mixture. This girl was causing him to go against his nature. To completely abandon exactly what he believed in. This girl was doing the unthinkable. She was doing exactly what everyone, especially Elena, had tried to do. Aria was changing him, and Damon didn't know what to do. It made him want to go out right at that second and tear into the first jugular he spotted.. but it also made him feel something he hadn't felt in a very long time. If Aria was capable of causing this change while Elena, the girl he supposedly loved, was not... What did that mean? Even better, what did he _want_ it to mean?


	3. The Confession part 1

_You can't see me, no_  
_Like I see you_  
_I can't have you, no_  
_Like you have me_

* * *

Aria sighed as she laid back on Damon's bed. It had been a very, very long day and all she wanted to do was sleep, but it never seemed to come for her when she needed it most. Damon had asked if she would accompany him to some party for a man that was writing a book on Mystic Falls, but Aria had declined respectfully, so he took Andie Star instead. She had been avoiding him as much as possible since the morning after he had gotten drunk. It wasn't exactly easy, considering they were in the same house, but she thought she was doing pretty well.

She let out another sigh as she rolled onto her stomach and buried her face into the pillow. Aria breathed in Damon's scent and closed her eyes. She quickly opened them once she heard a loud crash downstairs. Her body stiffened and she listened for a few moments before there was another loud noise. She quickly leapt up from her spot on the bed and made her way to Damon's door as quietly as she could. Once she opened it, she pressed herself against the wall and crept down the hall.

Aria clasped both hands over her mouth once she saw Alaric lying on the floor, a dagger protruding from his abdomen. She watched as Damon walked into the hallway only to be jumped by a man. He pulled out a syringe and dug it into Damon's neck as he was throwing himself into walls, trying to get the man off of him. Within a few moments, Damon was lying on the floor, not far from Alaric, surrounded by a few men and a woman. Before Aria realized it, she was half way down the stairs.

"Damon!"

The remnants of the wolf pack froze at the sound of a scream, one of which pointing a gun at Damon's back. With his last few ounces of strength, he looked up towards the staircase. Though his vision was blurry, he could distinctly make out Aria's small frame, and the terrified look on her face. Her wide earthy eyes were horror-struck, but her stance was as if she was ready for a fight. Jules was the first to move. She grabbed a wooden stake, and quickly made her way towards the small girl on the staircase.

"A-Aria," he choked out, "_Run._'"

And then everything went black. Aria watched as Damon's eyes closed and his head fell back to the floor with a hard thud. Before Jules could reach her, Aria jumped over the banister and landed on all fours, then took off running out the front door. She didn't want to leave Damon and Alaric alone, but she needed to find someone, anyone. Stefan and Elena were out of town, and she knew there wouldn't be enough time to make it to the grill where Bonnie, Caroline and Elena's kid brother were.

As she ran, tears started to fall down her face. She ignored them and their meaning and kept running, the sound of her feet slapping against cold concrete. After what seemed like hours of running, Aria spotted someone. It was a man; he was pale, and had dirty blond hair. His attire seemed rather inappropriate for an evening stroll, but she wasn't going to be picky about this. Without looking to see if any cars were coming, she darted across the street and ran up to him.

"Please, help." She begged and pleaded, gasping for breath. "I need your help. Please, please, help me."

Once she was closer, she recognized the man to be the guest of honor at the party Damon wanted to drag her to; Elijah Smith. He stared at Aria, the stone expression on his face not changing once throughout her entire story. Only when she mentioned the name Damon Salvatore did the man seem to show interest. "Show me where."

* * *

It was hours before Damon had regained consciousness. When he did, he saw Alaric lying on the ground, his special ring on his finger. Damon was glad to see him alive; whether he wanted to admit it or not, they had became some sort of friends over time. He was glad for Alaric. Glad for everything he had done to help him. Damon had been realizing that he was glad for a lot of people in his life, especially Aria. _Aria.._ Damon quickly struggled to move, only to groan in pain.

"Morning, Sunshine." A man stepped out from behind him. "Enjoying my little torture device?"

"Tell us where the moon stone is, Damon." Jules growled.

Damon laughed, explaining the irony of the situation. The wolf pack continued to torture him, demanding that he tell them where the moon stone was, but Damon wouldn't say a word. Every time the wood dug into his skin, sending a terrible burning sensation throughout his body, he had thought of Elena, but soon he began thinking of Aria. He found himself praying to a god that he didn't believe in, begging to return her to him. He hadn't felt this lost in decades, and he promised himself that he'd never forget it. If something were to happen to her; he would personally make sure his life was more of a living hell than it already was.

He hadn't wanted to let himself care, but he just couldn't help it with her. Aria reminded him of so many things that he wanted to be, and she was slowly helping him become those things. He wouldn't allow himself to give up, not this time, not when he was just starting to feel human again. He needed this girl in his life. He fucking _needed_ her. As he was being tortured, he had decided something extremely crucial to everyone's lives. He was going to tell her everything. He needed to tell her everything; needed to know if she'd still be there through all of this. It was selfish of him, he knew, but somewhere he felt that she needed him just as much as he did her.

"Why hello. Is this what you're looking for?" Elijah sauntered into the room, moonstone in hand. The wolves froze once again, all eyes on the shiny, smooth rock in the man's pale hand. He watched them as he slowly put it down. "Go ahead, take it."

The wolf pack exchanged glances, and with a nod from Jules, two of the members went for the stone. They got only a few inches away before Elijah ripped their hearts out and let their bodies drop to the floor. A few more launched themselves at the stone, only to fail miserably.

"Any other takers?" He smirked at the two that were left. Jules quickly disappeared, leaving a lone wolf standing next to Damon. "How about you, mm?"

The man shook his head, only for Elijah to snap his neck a few moments later. He moved his way over to Damon and broke the chains that had him confined to the chair he was sitting in. He stared at him smugly for a few moments, pointed out the fact that this had been the third time he had saved Damon's life, grabbed the moonstone, and left.

Aria came running in a few moments later. She came to a halt in the arch of the door. Damon watched as she stared at each dead body on the floor; he grasped at his bloody throat as he slowly stood. He expected her to turn and run, but she didn't move. Her glossy eyes slowly rose from the floor and met his. Before Damon knew it, Aria had darted across the room, leapt over two of the bodies, and tackled him. He stumbled back a few steps before regaining his composure.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. I just ran as fast as I could to get help and I found that Elijah guy and he told me to wait outside and.. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." She sobbed into his chest, stumbling over her words from talking too quickly. She pulled away slowly after a few moments and looked up at him. "Oh god, Damon. Are you alright?"

Damon stared at the girl in disbelief, not knowing what to say. What kind of person would have ignored at least six dead bodies lying on the floor, especially when two of them had their hearts lying right next to their heads? What kind of girl wouldn't be disturbed by the large amount of blood seeping into the Persian rug, or by the fact that he was covered in it?

"Damon?" Aria frowned and placed a hand on his face, "Damon, are you alright? Is there anything I can do?"

As he opened his mouth to speak, to tell everything to the tiny girl in front of him, Alaric started groaning from upon the floor. Aria stared into Damon's eyes for a few moments before quickly removing her hand from his face. A firm frown appeared on his lips as the girl in front of him moved her gaze towards the man on the floor. She moved over to his side and helped him up slowly, then walked him over to the couch.

"What happened?" Alaric groaned, a hand placed on the spot where Jules had stabbed him with a dagger. He quickly realized that Damon couldn't quite explain, considering Aria's presence, and pulled out his phone. "Shit. I really need to call Jenna.."

Aria sat quietly on the couch next to Alaric as he called his girlfriend. She watched as Damon rolled up the Persian rug and tossed next to the front door, mumbling to himself about how he'd take it out later that night. She watched as the wounds on his neck slowly healed, a sight she quite familiar of. She had known Damon was hiding something from the first moment she had met him, but she also had been hiding a few things from her saviour. She looked down at the large, onyx and silver ring on her left hand, a sickening feeling growing in her stomach.

"I have to get home." Alaric announced as he stood up. He nodded a goodbye to Aria, and then moved towards Damon. He stopped in the hall a few feet away from him as he reached for the door handle. The two men shared a knowing look, and then Alaric was gone into the cool summer night.

It was quiet in the house for a very long time, an unsettling feeling hung in the air. Not a word was said, for neither knew exactly how to start. Damon made his way back into the den, and poured himself a whiskey. He stared at the amber liquid for a few moments before downing the whole thing and pouring him another; if he was going to tell her everything, he was going to need a few drinks first.

"Damon, I.." Aria began, but was quickly cut off by the sound of Damon's phone ringing. He put down his crystal glass and grabbed the phone from his pocket. He stared at the screen for a few moments, glanced up at Aria, and then answered it.

"What?" He asked. On the other line, Aria could hear a female's voice. She was guessing that it was either Bonnie or Caroline from the look that played across Damon's face as he listened. She watched as his expression turned into a frown, "I hear you loud and clear. I'll fill in Stefan later. Yeah. Bye."

"Is everything alright?" Aria questioned after watching Damon down another glass of whiskey.

"Yes and no." He told her bluntly. He poured himself one more drink before he sat at the other end of the couch and faced Aria. As he opened his mouth to talk, he decided against it and downed another drink; he had already begun to start feeling the warm effects of the alcohol. "Aria, we need to talk."

"I know, Damon." She blurted out. "I know _everything_."


	4. The Confession part 2

**I'm sorry. There are things going on in my life and that's why it's taken this long to put this out. I'm really sorry.**

* * *

_And I want you in my life_  
_And I need you in my life _

* * *

Damon sat quietly as the pale girl in front of him spoke. Her eyes were glossy behind her thickly rimmed glasses, her face drained of all color, while her knuckles were white from how hard she was clasping her knees. All of this had come as a shock to his system, and he could do nothing but nod every few minutes as all the information was slowly sinking in. He knew that she had to know somewhat of what was going on, but he never expected her to know this much. She was like a tiny, more innocent version of Isobel. She had been studying folklore in Europe while she was in college with her fiancé.

_Fiancé._ Damon would never be able to get used to that.

It seemed as if his world was crumbling around him, just as it had decades ago when he first thought Katherine was locked in the tomb. He felt lost, and didn't know how to react. He wanted to crawl into the cellar in the basement and never come out again. He wanted to go on a rampage and tear apart this retched town he called home. But most of all, Damon wanted to cry. This was the most human he had felt in ages.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he tried to fight them back, but the war had been won and they spilled over, rolling down his face. Aria's talking slowed once she noticed. She raised her hand slightly, but then placed it back upon her knee as if she had changed her mind. They sat like that for what felt like hours, nothing was said and all that could be heard was their breathing and the crackling of the fire.

"I'm sorry, Damon." Aria sighed, "I didn't put two and two together until now.."

Aria continued on about how she had thought she recognized Elena when they had first met. She had been sure it was Katerina Patrova, but quickly swept the thought out of her mind. She had tried to put that part of her life behind her ever since that night she fled home. She never knew that any of this would happen.

Damon shook his head, not being able to say a word. His mouth was dry, and his throat ached. He moved his gaze to Aria's exposed neck. He could see her jugular pulse with blood and was quickly overwhelmed with an unbearable thirst. Then he did the unthinkable. Damon reached for the girl, roughly pulling her into his lap before she could protest and sank his canines into her beautiful neck.

A loud gasp escaped from Aria's lips as Damon sucked. She tried to get away, but quickly gave up as she knew he was much stronger. "Damon.."

The sound of her calling his name made him suck even harder, his mouth full of blood, causing it to spill out and down her shirt. He slowly moved his hands from her shoulders and placed one in her hair, pulling aggressively so that her neck was more exposed and one on the small of her back. Aria dug her nails into his skin as hard as she could but his only reaction was a smirk pressed against her skin. Damon continued to feed on her until he felt her body go limp, and he quickly realized what he had done.

"Aria?" He grasped her face roughly, shaking it a little. "Aria, can you hear me?"

But no answer came from her and Damon started to panic. He got up from the couch and stared at the lifeless girl, blood trickling down from the spot where he had sunk his teeth into and staining the fabric beneath her. He begun to pace back and forth, picking up his half empty glass of whiskey. He quickly downed it, started at the crystal and then threw it at the fireplace. How could he have let this happen? How could he have done this to her? Damon growled in anger. The ring would fix this, right? He would just have to wait this out, and before he knew it, she'd be awake again. _Right?_

He didn't want to take that chance.

Damon quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Bonnie's number. After all, she was a witch. Surely she'd be able to help in this situation. After a few rings, he got her voice mail. He hung up and tried Caroline next, but got the same _'leave your message after the beep'_. He called a few more people, but none of them answered.

There was only one other way to fix this.

Damon tore open his wrist and forced it upon Aria's pale mouth. He watched as his blood trickled down her throat. Having a newborn vampire in Mystic Falls was never the best idea, but Damon wasn't ready to give up. After all, this wouldn't have been the first time he had to take care of a newborn.. mind you, they usually all wound up with a giant wooden stake through their hearts, but he was sure he could handle Aria.

After a few more moments, Damon removed his wrist from the girl's bloodstained mouth and sighed. He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder, then began to make his way upstairs to his room. There was no way in hell he would let Stefan or Elena know that he had done this. They would never let him hear the end of it. No, he decided, he was going to handle this on his own. But first thing is first, he needed to clean up the blood on the sofa before it set.

* * *

It had been days since Damon's little accident and the town was in shambles. Katherine was out of the tomb, Isobel was back, and Elijah, Dr. Martin and Luka were dead. Jenna and Alaric's relationship had seemed to be put on hold, while Bonnie and Jeremy couldn't be separated. Tyler was still gone, and Caroline had pulled a little stunt with Matt, who now knew about her being a vampire. Everything was going topsy turny, and Elena's constant suspicion of Aria's new attitude was starting to slowly pick at Damon's conscience. Lucky for him, there was too much going on for anyone to really look into it.

"I am going to murder you." Aria mumbled as she slouched in the front seat of Damon's car.

"Yeah, yeah." Damon sighed, "I said I was sorry."

"Are you even sure Bonnie is going to do this?" Aria asked, stretching her arms out and _accidentally _hitting Damon's bicep quite hard. She was upset with him, but at the same time she wasn't. This was bound to happen at some point, was it not? Better now than later, she thought. "And what about Katherine? You know that she knows."

"Katherine won't say anything. She only wants one thing and she knows if she says anything about this, it will just get in the way." Damon told her, only half sure as he pulled in front of Bonnie's house. "As for Bonnie, she said she will do anything that will help keep Elena safe."

"Getting a ring for me to walk in the sun is going to keep Elena safe?" Aria cocked an eyebrow at the older man, still in her slouched position in the passenger's seat.

"As far as Bonnie is concerned, it is." Damon slammed the car door and began to make his way up to Bonnie's front door. Truth be told, Bonnie had only agreed to this because Damon had practically begged her. It wasn't a proud moment for him, but it needed to be done. In the end Aria could be useful in keeping Elena safe. The more strength and brain power they had, the better. Besides, Aria had studied the originals for a very long time before she came here. From what she had told him, she seemed to know just as much as Elijah had.

In Damon's mind, Aria would be their secret weapon if something happened to Bonnie.

The two walked into Bonnie's house once she opened the door. The living room was covered in candles, which Bonnie had quickly lit with her powers. "I have a date. Can we please do this quickly?"

Damon nodded and placed the azure and gold ring on the cherry wood table in the middle of the room. He then placed a hand on Aria's shoulder and guided her to sit in front of it. She hadn't been too fond of this entire thing, considering she possessed one of the Gilbert rings. Damon had heard her curse at herself for taking it off that night, for she would still be human if she hadn't. Because he felt so terrible about it, he let her pick out a ring instead of him just choosing one for her like he had for Caroline.

The tiny fires on the candle wicks started flickering as Bonnie slowly raised her hands. The room grew cold, and then warmer as the flames grew larger with each Latin word she spoke. After a few moments, everything went dark and Bonnie lowered her hands.

"Done." She told Damon, silently urging them to leave.

"Really?" Aria's eyes wide, "That's it? That's all there is to it?"

"Yeah." Bonnie smiled slightly, then began frowning at Damon, "Not to be rude, but could you please leave? Jeremy is going to be here any second."

"Thank you, Bonnie." Aria smiled sadly as she stood. "I really do appreciate this."

"Anything to help Elena." She told her shortly.

The two moved for the door, and then quickly stepped outside into the cool summer breeze. Damon started walking to the car before he realized that Aria hadn't bugged from the sidewalk in front of Bonnie's house. He turned and faced her, a questionable look played across his face. Aria was staring down at her hand, where her big onyx ring had once been. Instead, there was a new blue and gold one resting on her not-so-delicate finger. She noticed Damon staring at her and begun moving again. She hopped into the passenger seat of the car and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs.

Damon followed in suit, and turned the key in the ignition. "Where to?"

"You know, I've been thinking." Aria ignored him, "What if I gave my ring to Elena to protect her from anything supernatural?"

Damon sat quietly, slightly stunned; that ring had been her engagement ring.

"I mean, it would keep her safer when you and Stefan aren't around, wouldn't it?" She continued, "And it's not like I'm going to be making any use of it any time soon.."

"They don't know you're a vampire, Aria." Damon told her sternly as he began to drive, "They're going to wonder why you're giving it to her. Stefan will figure it out, and as soon as he does, he'll run and tell Elena and then we'll just have a huge fucking mess to clean up."

"They'll find out eventually as long as I'm staying with you." She frowned, "Besides, we both know you think this is a good idea."

"No."

"Damon, stop being stubborn." Aria groaned, "Just give Elena the damned ring and she'll be safe!"

"Elena will not be safe, Aria." He growled back at her, "Elena is not going to be safe until we kill Klaus! And until that happens, I make the decisions. Not you. You don't know anything. You just messed this up even more."

Aria didn't speak after that, not the entire drive home, not even when Damon asked if she was hungry or wanted to grab a drink at The Grill. She didn't say a word to him when he pulled up in the driveway of the Salvatore house, or when he parked the car and stared at her with his icy blue eyes. Instead, what she did was grab her jacket out of the back and power walk into the house, not bothering to close the door behind her. All she had wanted to do was help protect the girl Damon was in love with because what she _really_ wanted to do was protect Damon. But he wouldn't let her, so he left her no choice.

Aria quickly walked into Damon's room, locked the door and grabbed her ring off the nightstand. She listened for a few moments then opened the large window in Damon's room and jumped out, trying to be as stealth as she could. She then made her way down the street and to Elena's house.


	5. Teeth and Claws

_You can't feel me, no_  
_Like I feel you _  
_I can't steal you, no_  
_Like you stole me_

* * *

Aria slowed her walking as she neared the Gilbert house. With her newly enhanced vision, she could clearly see into the front windows and spotted John sitting on the couch watching TV. It looked as if he was the only one at home, after all, it was a Friday night and Aria had remembered hearing Caroline mention something about a school dance. Regardless of everything she's heard, she felt slightly bad for John. His sister-in-law, his nephew and his own biological daughter hated his guts, only to name a few.

In Aria's mind, family was one of the most important things in life. She quickly shook the thought from her head before it could create a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach and began to step forward. Aria didn't exactly have a family anymore, not after that night. Her only family had been her fiancé, and she refused to ever acknowledge his existence again after what he did to her; how he betrayed her.

Aria lifted her shaking hand and was about to knock on the large, wooden door before something stopped her. She was wrong: she did have a family. Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler, Jeremy, Stefan, Elena, Aunt Jenna, _Damon_.. they might not have known it, but in some strange way, they had all become a family. Maybe Aria was looking into it too much, but she knew that at some point, every single one of those people had done something to help her during her accident.

Now it was her turn.

She raised her now steady hand, and rasped on the door a few times. It took a few moments before John opened it and stared at the girl in front of him. "Can I help you?"

"Hi John," Aria said politely, "Is Elena home?"

"No. She's out." He mumbled and then slammed the door in her face.

"Well that was rude.." Aria frowned. She stood on the porch and thought; she wasn't quite sure as to where the school was located, even though she had grown quite accustomed to the layout of the town, and she really didn't want to see Damon again. Aria let out a sigh and knocked a few times more, only this time John didn't answer. She glanced around and then seated herself on the porch steps. She would have to wait.

* * *

"Aria?" Aria's eyes shot open, and then quickly closed with the blinding light of the sun. She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep, nor had she known how long she had been out. She slowly opened her eyes once again and lifted them to the figure standing in front of her. Jenna towered over her, a confused look on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Jenna.." Aria told her honestly as she fought back the all too familiar sting of blood lust burning her throat, "I really need to talk to Elena."

"If she's not here, she's probably with Stefan." She spoke as she pulled her keys out of her pocket, "Did John leave you out here all night?" Jenna didn't wait for an answer, "He's such a jerk, you know? Do you want to come in?"

"Yes, that would be great." Aria smiled, secretly hoping that those words would be enough to allow her through the barrier. She held her breath once she reached the door frame, and slowly tried to step inside. Relief washed over her as nothing obstructed her foot from entering the house. She stood awkwardly in the doorway as she watched Jenna rush around the large house. First she went into the kitchen, and then upstairs to see if anyone else was home, then back downstairs to check the answering machine.

_"You have one new message. First viewed message: 'Hey Jenna, it's Alaric.. I'm really sorry about what happened and I think we need to talk. I heard you were back today so maybe you'd want to meet me at the Grill?' End of messages."_

"Is it just me, or did Ric sound funny?" Jenna frowned, then picked up the phone and dialed a number. Aria was expecting to hear Alaric's voice on the other end of the receiver when she picked up Stefan's instead. She listened intently to the conversation but tensed up once she heard the panic in Stefan's voice.

_"Don't meet up with Alaric, Jenna. Please. I'll explain everything. I'm coming right over."_

"Doesn't anyone know how to say goodbye anymore?" Jenna asked, looking quite irritated. She then moved her gaze towards Aria, "Can I get you something to eat or drink? I'm not sure what we have but I'm sure we have something. You can help yourself; I need to make a phone call."

Aria nodded and made her way to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and peered inside: hot dogs, green onions, cucumbers, milk, carrots, ranch sauce, sour cream, tuna, mayo, some tomatoes and a half-eaten salad were the only things inside the quite large fridge. She then opened the cupboards and looked around, still finding nothing quite appetizing. What Aria really wanted right now was a blood bag, but that wasn't possible at the moment and there was no way in hell Aria would ever allow herself to hurt another human being.

"Tuna it is." She sighed to herself and began making sandwiches. Aria had made three sandwiches before Jenna returned from upstairs. She sat down across the island from her. "Want a sandwich?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Jenna smiled and took one. They both sat quietly before Jenna began to complain about the way everyone had been acting towards her lately. She continued on for a good while before the doorbell rang.

"That's probably Alaric." She told Aria, "Maybe you should wait for Elena upstairs."

"Didn't Stefan say not to call him?" Aria asked cautiously, remembering the strict panic in the man's voice.

"It's just Ric." Jenna shrugged it off, "He's harmless."

Aria nodded, not wanting to argue anymore than needed, and rose from her seat. She cleaned up the dishes as Jenna slowly made her way to the door. Once she had finished, she climbed the stairs and reached Elena's room, shutting the door behind her. She then placed herself at the window overlooking the front of the house in search of Stefan.

It hadn't been long before Aria spotted his car pull up in front of the house. He dashed out of the front seat, up the sidewalk and to the front door. Aria closed her eyes and focused as she began to listen to what was going on down below.

The three talked as they moved from the hallway to the kitchen. Aria could hear Alaric slicing vegetables against the wooden cutting board as Jenna sat down at the table. She instantly stiffened once she heard the word vampire escape from Alaric's lips. Everything after that happened so quickly. Aria swiftly stood and made her way down the staircase to see Stefan holding Alaric against the kitchen wall, a silver blade against his neck.

"What's going on?" Jenna shouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Jenna, get out of here!" He shouted at the terrified and confused woman. He then moved his gaze to Aria who had ascended from the stairs and was now standing in the foyer. "Aria, get her back to the house, now!"

Aria didn't question him. She quickly grabbed Jenna's arm and forcefully pulled her out the front door and down the steps to Stefan's car. She opened the passenger door and Jenna quickly got in. She then slid across the hood of the car and hopped into the driver's seat, quickly putting it in gear and driving off.

"What just happened?" Jenna asked after a few moments of Aria's speeding, "What was Ric talking about? _What was wrong with Stefan's face?_"


	6. Melancholy

Everything beyond this point will be loosely based off of the TV series. I have been waiting to post certain things due to the season finale, so that I could take the reigns on it and do my own thing without having to worry about any new plot lines. **_Take it or leave it, but thank you for staying with me up until this point._**

* * *

_**Love was kind, for a time**_  
_**Now just aches, and it makes me blind**_

_**Do not ask the price I pay for I must live with my quiet rage**_  
_**Tame the ghosts in my head that run wild and wish me dead**_  
_** Should you shake my ash to the wind**_  
_**Lord forget all of my sins**_  
_**Oh let me die where I lie beneath the curse of my lover's eyes**_

* * *

Everything had gone to hell and back the night of the school dance. Klaus, whom had possessed Alaric's body, had attacked Elena in his attempt to draw Bonnie to try and kill him, which would in turn, kill her. Klaus' plan had failed due to Damon's plan to fake Bonnie's death so that she would be their secret weapon during the sacrifice. She hid with Jeremy in the old house where all the witches had been burned.

Within a span of 24 hours, the Salvatore brothers had signed the deed of their house over to Elena in order to protect her further from Klaus. That was the day that the still possessed Alaric decided to try and get Jenna, but failed thanks to Stefan. However, that night Elena had to explain everything to her aunt, which was extremely hurt by it all. All the while, Aria had been stuck outside waiting for Damon due to the barrier and Elena not knowing that she had been a vampire.

Then Klaus got his witches to resurrect himself, giving Alaric full control over his body once again. He showed up at the house that morning, 'causing Jenna to almost stake him, with a message from Klaus: The sacrifice was to happen that night, which led everyone to where they were now.

Aria stood outside with an unconscious Matt as she waited for Damon to retrieve Caroline and Tyler from the tomb. She had decided that it was her duty to stay in Mystic Falls and help out with everything. She and Damon hadn't exactly been on the best terms since the night she went to go give Elena her ring. He had barely said a word to her, especially after Stefan had heard them arguing on the front porch the night Klaus tried to attack Jenna. Of course Stefan had to tell Elena, so that Aria could be invited in, which Elena was extremely disappointed in Damon which made Damon extremely upset at Aria for blowing her cover. The only reason she had tagged along with Damon was because Stefan and Elena had gone on a hike to spend time together before tonight and she hadn't wanted to be alone in the house with Jenna and Alaric all day.

"Matt!" Aria turned around to see Caroline on her knees next to her boyfriend, "Did you hit him?"

"Do I have to remind you about the wooden bullets?" Damon scoffed at her, "Just grab boy wonder and let's go."

The group slowly, but surely started making their way to the Lockwood property so that Tyler could lock himself up. But his transformation had already begun, and after a short while, everyone stopped in their tracks when Tyler cried out in pain, falling to the ground.

"I can't hold it off." He told them, "It's happening faster."

"It's okay, Tyler." Caroline cooed to him, "We're almost there.."

"You need to get out of here." Tyler growled out.

Aria stood and watched as his body changed shape, his bones making sickening cracking noises. He looked up at them, his teeth now extremely sharp, and his eyes a golden yellow. He let out a loud grunt, and then leapt at Caroline, only Damon jumped in the way. They wrestled for a few moments, and then Damon threw Tyler off of him.

"You need to go!" He yelled at Caroline and Matt as he tightly grabbed onto Aria's arm.

"We'll go to the cellar," She told him, "If it can hold him in, it can hold him out!"

Before Aria knew it, they were running. Everything was a blur, and the only clear thing she could make out was Damon who was slightly in front of her, holding her hand and directing her where to go. She ran in his footsteps until they got to a clearing near the edge of the woods. They slowed to a stop, and Damon let go of her pale hand. She watched him as he paced back and forth, his eyes wild.

She had never noticed before how his eyes changed from a beautiful blue, to a mint green, and then to almost a white. Never noticed how truly pale his skin was, and how greatly it contrasted with his dark features. His skin was wet with perspiration, and Aria moved towards him to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow. She slowly raised her hand to his temple and Damon froze in his tracks as she did so. His unnecessary breathing stopped as her soft hand touched his cold skin. She trailed her fingers down the side of his face and rested her hand on the sensitive skin of his neck. He stared into her earthy eyes, trying to figure out what she was doing, and found himself lost in them.

Aria took another step towards him and began to place her other hand on the opposite side of his neck, but stopped and rested it against his chest instead. What was she doing? She knew that Damon loved Elena. He was always going to choose Elena. Everything he had done had been for Elena. Aria closed her eyes and began to pull away from Damon, but was stopped by his strong hands which were now firmly planted on her hips. She removed her hands from his body and placed them on his arms, only to be shocked when Damon pushed her back with a grunt.

"What's wrong?" She questioned, "What was that for?"

Damon didn't answer; instead he quickly unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and rolled it up, pushing back the sleeve of his leather jacket as he did so. With every inch that he pushed back, his arm began to appear red, black veins showing through his skin. Aria looked away from his arm, and looked up at his face which was now twisted in some unknown emotion.

"What is that?" She asked, moving towards him again. He didn't answer, and she gently took his arm into her hands and gingerly touched the irritated skin. "Damon, what happened?"

"It's nothing." He finally answered.

"Damon.." Aria frowned, "Are you alright?"

"We need to go." He told her as he pulled his arm away from her and pushed the sleeve back down. "We're wasting time. We need to save Elena."

"Damon, please." Aria grabbed tightly onto his jacket. "Damon, look at me."

"Stop, Aria." He demanded as he turned to leave, "I can't lose her. I need to go."

"She doesn't even love you like that!" She cried out, instantly regretting what she had said to him. She watched as he hesitated in moving, and then in a flash, he was gone. Aria cursed at herself loudly as she stood in the cold forest, completely alone. She had no idea what she was feeling, and was more confused as to why.

Then, she took off running. She could hear Damon's footsteps, and pushed as much as she could to catch up with him. She began to feel a strange burning sensation in her muscles, but soon enough, she was right next to him. Aria reached out, her hand a blur, grabbed onto his arm and pulled back as hard as she could. Next thing she knew, Damon's feet lifted off the ground and she watched as his body slammed into a tree trunk not far from her. He landed with a grunt, and a shocked expression appeared upon his when their eyes met; neither of them moved.

"I'm sorry, Damon." Aria began, but was quickly cut off by the wind being knocked out of her. She flew backwards and landed on the ground with a thud, her arms pinned above her head, Damon on top of her. They stared at each other for a few moments before a growl escaped from Aria's throat; now she was mad.

She quickly overpowered Damon and rolled him over, pinning him on the ground. This happened a few more times, both of them switching positions. Soon after, Damon got fed up. He picked Aria up and pinned her against the tree that she had thrown him into, causing woodchips to dig into her back through her jacket. She let out a yelp and quickly tried to pull away, but he was too strong.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, "You do _not_ want to pick a fight with me, Aria."

"It's always going to be Stefan, Damon." Aria frowned, "Why don't you see that? It happened with Katerina, it's going to be the same with Elena. _Why can't you just see that?_"

"You don't know what you're talking about." He shook his head, fighting back the urge to rip open Aria's throat. He had heard this all so many times before, and he did not want to hear it again. He was never going to give up on Elena. Not even if it killed him.

"Damon, please. Why can't you see that someone else actually _cares_ for you?" She begged as she struggled to get her arms free. "Why can't you just _let go_?"

Damon slowly grabbed both of her small wrists with one of his large hands, and placed his other hand on her chest, right above her heart. "You're wasting my time."

"Fine." Aria shook her head, utterly disappointed and rather embarrassed that she had even tried to make a pass at Damon Salvatore. _I mean, who in their right mind would even_ – and that's when he kissed her. There was no warning, no signs, nothing. It was one swift motion and his ivory lips were against hers. The kiss was softer, and more caring than Aria would have ever thought capable of Damon.

As their lips intertwined with one another, Damon snaked his free hand around Aria's back. Before she could do anything, before she could react, a piercing pain shot throughout her body as Damon plunged a stake deep enough to harm, but not to kill. A sorrow filled groan escaped her mouth against his lips, her eyes searching his for any sign of emotion but there was nothing.

Then, everything went black.


End file.
